Aircraft: tax short flights, ecology: This article explores the topic in depth.
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Aircraft: tax short flights. For example, ecology:
The story of the day | July 16, 2025 –
Tax the flights by plane to make us take the train? Meanwhile, The debate is launched
To limit nuisance and promote the train, some plane trips could be taxed. Furthermore, This idea reacted the PLR Olivier Feller and the Green Lisa Mazzone.
The Swiss take the plane about twice as much as their neighbors.
imago stock&people
- The Basel text offers a tax on short flights replaceable by the rail.
- Eight Swiss cantons have already presented similar projects, without success.
- The initiative avoids mileage thresholds to promote reasonable rail accessibility.
- A survey reveals that 72% of Swiss support this new environmental tax.
Tax short flights if the rail offers a credible alternative. aircraft: tax short flights, ecology Therefore, It is The project adopted by the Grand Council of Basel-Ville In April 2025. For example, The initiative asked the Federal Parliament to introduce an incentive tax to preserve the environment. Nevertheless, the well-being of the population near airports. Moreover, The pollution. In addition, the risks for the safety of residents and the noise pollution caused by the EuroAirport are at the origin of this proposal.
For the Basel authorities. Meanwhile, the flights which connect Basel in Munich, Paris or Frankfurt offer no significant economic or tourist added value. Nevertheless, They must therefore be replaced by trains. Therefore, Between 2019 and 2021, eight cantons had already presented similar initiatives. Nevertheless, Among them, Valais, Neuchâtel, Bern, Saint-Gall or Geneva have not seen their projects succeed.
An already existing tax elsewhere?
On the other hand, aircraft: tax short flights, ecology several European countries have taken the plunge. Nevertheless, In France, interior flights are prohibited if an alternative by train exists in less than two and a half hours. Additionally, Nevertheless, Belgium, on the other hand, has established a tax on plane tickets for air links of less than 500 kilometers.
The Basel Innovation Innovates: The text does not provide any precise kilometric or temporal threshold. However, The criterion chosen is “reasonable accessibility of destinations by rail” – a more flexible approach. Furthermore, which takes into account existing infrastructure.
But who would define what is “reasonable” and on what criteria? In addition, The President of the Greens, Lisa Mazzone, and the national advisor PLR Olivier Feller (VD) give their views.
Olivier Feller: against the tax
Olivier Feller, national advisor (PLR/VD).
VQH/Florian Cella
Is it a good idea to taxplates by plane?
I am opposed to any new tax or tax, because taxpayers are already sufficiently requested in Switzerland. Nevertheless, In June 2021. The people rejected the revision of the Co₂ lawespecially because it provided a whole series of taxes, including one on plane tickets. At the time, climate protection was among the main concerns of the population.
This aircraft: tax short flights, ecology is still the case today, but the purchasing power worries even more. In France. Belgium, the population has probably not been consulted, while in our direct democracy, the draft legislative revision was refused in the ballot box. There would certainly be a referendum if the parliament adopted this initiative. and such measures would probably be refused again, like what was done four years ago. This second attempt to introduce a tax of this type comes far too early to be accepted by the. Swiss people.
Can what is worth in Basel apply to other cantons?
The Basel Parliament wants to impose a tax on a national scale on the basis of a local assessment. which poses a problem, because each region presents different issues. Studies show that Geneva Airport contributes largely to the economy. culture of the whole region – Geneva, neighboring aircraft: tax short flights, ecology France, Vaud, even all of French -speaking Switzerland. To say that there is no significant added value surprises me. especially in Basel, the airport benefits economic and cultural activities.
Can this initiative make the difference?
I don’t think this measure will really change things. Admittedly, an airport generates noise pollution, but more taxes by the quality of rail access seems unrealistic to me. How to define if a city is sufficiently accessible by train? Should we take into account the quality of infrastructure, punctuality, correspondence? These are very difficult criteria to apply concretely. The planned tax will have the main consequences of annoying users. without real deterrent effect, and still lowering their purchasing power. If we really want it to have an effect. it would be necessary to fix the tax to a level so high that it would in fact be like aircraft: tax short flights, ecology prohibiting flights for part of the population which would not have the means to pay it. It would be unhealthy.
Aircraft: tax short flights, ecology
Lisa Mazzone: for the tax
Lisa Mazzone, President of the Greens.
Keystone
Several initiatives have failed at the federal level. What is changing this time?
According to A representative survey72% of the population aircraft: tax short flights, ecology supports the planned tax: a clear sign that the. popular will is there. Kerosene remains detacted for international flights. which amounts to indirectly subsidize the airlines for their pollution, while motorists, they pay taxes on petrol.
It is time for Switzerland to line up with its neighbors. It is necessary to develop the rail. to think about using the product of a tax to finance new lines or reduce the price of train tickets, in order to strengthen their competitiveness. About 80% of destinations from Switzerland are in Europe, it is a huge potential. Parliament voted to strengthen day links and night trains. But the federal council, majority on the right, wants to cut the planned budget. It lacks a real political will, even though the population supports these measures. The challenge for us is to have a parliament ready to help people can take the train.
How does air traffic impact the population?
The noise pollution is not taken into account by the majority of the right in Parliament. whether for the road or for the plane. However, there are real health risks. Specialists have long required stricter standards, as those in place are clearly insufficient according to them. For my part. having lived for a long time around the airport, I noticed on a daily basis how noise impacts the quality of life and the health of residents.
Wouldn’t the project application penalize disadvantaged people?
To serve everyone, this tax must be used to lower the price of the train. The disadvantaged people are the first to be struck by pollution. noise, and by the effects of global warming such as heat waves. They have less access to a garden, well -isolated aircraft: tax short flights, ecology housing and far from nuisance. Pollution is always a social injustice: to act against the climate crisis is also to protect those who have. the least means to defend themselves.
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Aircraft: tax short flights, ecology
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